If it’s true that the public has a short memory – and that fight fans in particular are quick to forget those not bolstered by a media blitz – then the second opening-round event of Strikeforce’s heavyweight grand prix should remind everyone what some of the top talent in the big-man division looks like.

It could also provide a clue as to who’s next to cross over to the promotion’s new sibling – the UFC.

On Saturday, Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem attempts to add another belt to his mantle when he takes on Fabricio Werdum in the headliner of “Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum. Additionally, Josh Barnett takes on Brett Rogers in another tourney bout.

The event takes place at American Airlines Center in Dallas, and its main card airs on Showtime. Additionally, the event’s preliminary card airs on HDNet.

A minimum of 11 months stands between the tournament competitors and their most recent stateside appearances. Let’s take a look at what they’ve been up to (and what to be on the lookout for):

Alistair Overeem (34-11 MMA, 2-0 SF)

The Dutch fighter returned to the U.S. for the first time in three years in May 2010 when he took on Rogers at “Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery.” The fight was a complete blowout; Overeem pounded out a TKO win in the first round to quiet those who criticized his long absence from the U.S. The heavyweight then issued a challenge to Fabricio Werdum, who was fresh off an upset submission victory over Fedor Emelianenko this past June. Unfortunately, an injury to Werdum’s elbow scrapped the fight when the Brazilian chose to undergo surgery.

Overeem then tried to make a fight with Emelianenko behind closed doors but was rebuffed by the Russian’s management, which prompted Overeem to accept an invitation to join the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix. It was his second appearance in a K-1 tournament after a bid for the kickboxing promotion’s most prestigious title ended with a knockout loss to Badr Hari in the finals. This time around, Overeem ran the field with four consecutive victories to clinch the tournament title. Just weeks after that triumph, he doubled down by fighting at “DREAM Dynamite!! 2010,” where he took on ex-UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee for the promotion’s interim heavyweight title. He knocked out Duffee in the first round to secure a second new title in 2010.

Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1 MMA, 3-0 SF)

The submission specialist has been on the mend since a shocking upset victory over Emelianenko this past June at “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum,” in which he tapped the once-reigning heavyweight with a triangle/armbar submission just 69 seconds into the fight’s first round. But the win did not propel him to a title shot, as expected, nor did an immediate rematch materialize in Russia, as rumored. Instead, Werdum elected to fix an elbow injury that had nagged him in preparation for several fights, which pushed back his return to early this year. But the window was too close for Strikeforce to place him in the heavyweight tournament’s first quarterfinal round, which put him first on the list for the second event on Saturday.

Overeem vs. Werdum

Werdum’s submission skills paired with Overeem’s striking savvy makes this one an easy fight to break down on paper. And while Overeem undoubtedly has been working on his defensive wrestling in advance of the fight, he may not be as vigilant about Werdum’s striking game. The Brazilian has improved leaps and bounds since his early days as a fighter, and it’s very possible that he’ll try to get inside on Overeem to do damage from up close. At some point, though, it’s inevitable that he’ll shoot for a takedown, and we’ll see how much Overeem’s ground game has improved since their first meeting in 2006 ended in a submission victory for Werdum.

Josh Barnett (26-5 MMA, 0-0 SF)

The former UFC champion’s recent career has been marked more by struggles outside the cage than inside. After signing with Strikeforce this past September, the heavyweight sat on the bench as his struggle to get his fight license reinstated with the California State Athletic Commission continued. Barnett was denied a license in summer 2009 when a pre-fight drug screen turned up positive for performance-enhancers just weeks before his fight with Fedor Emelianenko at “Affliction: Trilogy.” He appealed the denial, and after several delays to appearing before the commission, he decided instead to simply reapply for a new license this past June. But the CSAC asked him to come before the commission before his license was reinstated, and after appearing this past December without his legal counsel, he withdrew his application.

In the meantime, Barnett fought twice overseas; he defeated “Mighty” Mo Siliga by submission this past September at DREAM.13, and this past July, he stopped Geronimo Dos Santos by TKO at “Impact FC 1: The Uprising” in Australia.

Following Barnett’s licensing troubles, Strikeforce decided to book him in the heavyweight grand prix’s second opening-round event in Dallas, though the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation required him to submit a clean drug test prior to licensure. Despite reports that he was not yet licensed, he met the requirements this week and was green-lighted to fight.

Barnett has not fought in the U.S. since January 2009, when he took on Gilbert Yvel at “Affliction: Day of Reckoning” and won by third-round TKO.

Brett Rogers (11-2 MMA, 2-2 SF)

Following a blowout loss to Overeem this past May (which came after a loss to Emelianenko six months prior), the former Sam’s Club employee waited on the sidelines for several months before securing a fight outside of Strikeforce. He took on journeyman Ruben “Warpath” Villareal at “W-1 New Ground” and earned a unanimous-decision victory.

Rogers, who noticeably slimmed down for this weekend’s fight, burst on the MMA scene in 2006 and earned 10 straight victories, including a TKO of former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski, before the back-to-back losses.

Barnett vs. Rogers

Barnett is a dangerous fighter on the ground, and that gives him a decided edge over Rogers, a heavy-handed and aggressive brawler with a little-seen ground game. If Rogers lands big at any point during the fight, Barnett will take things to where he’s comfortable. But Barnett, too, has worked diligently to round out his striking skills, and it’s a safe bet that he’ll hang out on the feet as long as possible.

All of the heavyweights with the exception of Rogers have said the heavyweight tournament will crown the world’s No. 1 heavyweight. That statement has been somewhat muted since the buyout of Strikeforce by UFC parent company Zuffa LLC, and the focus has shifted to what happens after the tournament. As Overeem told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), he thinks it’s a logical step for the winner to meet the UFC champion, whomever that might be, by early next year. (Current champ Cain Velasquez is expected to take on Junior Dos Santos in November.)

“It’s all about achieving a goal, and then you look toward the next goal,” Overeem said. “This is my next goal. The other [titles] are very important to me. Nobody can ever take them away. But this is the next thing. After this tournament, there will be something else.

“After this tournament, there will be another goal. I don’t know what that goal is, but if you think about it, and I’m not occupied with it, but the winner of the tournament should fight the UFC champion. That sounds like a logical next step.”

Of course, the winners of Saturday’s co-headliners will move on to the tournament’s semifinals. The winner of Overeem vs. Werdum meets Antonio Silva while the winner of Barnett vs. Rogers fights Sergei Kharitonov.

But with Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz now bound to meet UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre, it’s not hard to imagine calls for another crossover fight intensifying as the tournament progresses. And if UFC president Dana White is truly a servant of the fans, the heavyweights may have bigger things on the horizon.

Also on the “Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum” card, onetime welterweight challenger K.J. Noons (10-3 MMA, 2-1 SF) returns to the lightweight division to meet Jorge Masvidal (21-6 MMA, 2-0 SF). Noons is making a run for Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez’s belt after failing to take Diaz’s title this past October. He tangles with Masvidal, a Strikeforce/Bellator/Sengoku veteran who most recently dispatched top Strikeforce prospect Billy Evangelista. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has said that the winner of the fight is in a prime spot for a title shot, though nothing is guaranteed.

Additionally, two heavyweight-tourney reserve bouts populate the main card of “Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum.” Top prospect Daniel Cormier (7-0 MMA, 4-0 SF) gets perhaps his steepest challenge to date when he meets seasoned veteran Jeff Monson (42-11 MMA, 0-0 SF). With both men possessing limited striking skills, the bout breaks down as a top-notch wrestler in Cormier vs. a top-notch jiu-jitsu player in Monson.

A total of 26 fighters got their chance to shine on Saturday as part of UFC 190 at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena. Now that UFC 190 is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

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